Customising home screen menu items?

[Truman]

@jan.. I also didn't see your post until now so sorry for ignoring you. I read that link on how to add custom menu items and tried following it but I couldn't get it to work for some reason.

How exactly would I add the mad max confluence skin to xbmc? Do I download the zip file and unzip it to my 720p folder then change to this skin in xbmc??

Thanks for your help on this.

@Byron. Your exactly like me. If something doesn't work and you know it should or works for someone else it frustrates the shit out of me and I won't rest until its fixed even if there is a better way of doing it. Is there something else we could compare? Another file perhaps?
Does it have anything to do with my docos not having XML files tagging them as documentarys like I mentioned to Dom early? Or is it simply that the code added to the remote.xml file should point to my documentarys folder on my shared drive? What about if I was to add a direct path to the folder in the code itself??

Maybe I should try it on the Xbox again and see what happens.

Anyway thanks again for your help.

[byron]

BTW Ive actually as of last night just received my raspberry Pi and am using that instead of xbox.

If you are trying to accomplish this method using your RPi, then this is probably true

Also, keep in mind that some code isn't the same in the xbox and in the RPi.

So yes, you should try this on your xbox! I don't know the first thing about what other files you might have on that Pi, the skins might be the same but it's a different OS so it's making more sense to me now

What about if I was to add a direct path to the folder in the code itself??

<onclick>ActivateWindow(VideoFiles,Documentary,return)</onclick> is the direct path provided that you have your SMB share in "Video Files"

I started with a fresh copy of xbmc4xbox and then:

• added a button and told xbmc where to look for content (via the home.xml that we both have and no other changed files)
• added a folder on my pc and named it documentary
• told xbmc where to put the folder using SMB so that the button I made could access the content (added source in Video Files)

I now have access to the content of that folder on my pc via SMB share inside of xbmc using the button that was created...

[xbs]

The path/folder can be named whatever you want, is the source that needs to be named according to the button code.

[byron]

Right, maybe that's what's causing him problems? I always name my folders what I want the source to be in the first place and just select OK durring that step in adding sources

[Truman]

So when I go into Video>Files>add source I click on browse then select smb://Troy-pc/G on the list of locations.

Then I scroll through my G drive on my PC and select the documentary folder and click OK. This takes me back to the browse window where I can set content and choose a scraper and name the folder.
I name it documentary and I set the scraper as TV shows and allow it to scan for content and I see it add my files into the library. Is this how I should be doing it? It works for movies and TVshows.

[byron]

that sounds close but I think you might be missing a step...as many times as I've done it, I still can't do it from memory. I'll run through it when I get done with work in a few hours and see if you missed anything

[Truman]

I think i left out after you browse for the folder and name it and click ok then you go back to the screen where you add the scrapers and can set it to scan automatically each time etc. Im at work so I cant check exactly the process either despite doing it so many times.

[Truman]

that sounds close but I think you might be missing a step...as many times as I've done it, I still can't do it from memory. I'll run through it when I get done with work in a few hours and see if you missed anything

Do ou work evenings or nights, isnt it like around 10.25pm over there now?

[byron]

7:45PM....yeah I got a part time night job, and I watch two of my kids during the day. when I get settled in I'll add a new source and describe to you step by step how to do it...I'm fairly confident that should straighten this out

[byron]

So if this doesn't work, I give up I'm not saying this is the right way or the wrong way to add sources to xbmc, obviously there are several (this is just the way I've been doing it for the last several years). Anyone out there that doesn't know how to do this might also be able to take something from it as well...

okay so Truman...Navigate to Video Files and delete the original share that you have created for "documentary" at this point. In video files select add source, next select browse and then select this:

screenshot029.jpg (53.38 KiB) Viewed 7236 times

select workgroup:

screenshot028.jpg (44.08 KiB) Viewed 7236 times

find your shared drive and select that:

screenshot021.jpg (22.6 KiB) Viewed 7236 times

choose your source folder (call it whatever you want, but I always name it the same as the source):

screenshot022.jpg (50.42 KiB) Viewed 7236 times

Here you want to select OK:

screenshot023.jpg (45.02 KiB) Viewed 7236 times

[byron]

This is the source name, this has to be labeled Documentary (case doesn't matter)! select ok:

screenshot025.jpg (47.73 KiB) Viewed 7242 times

back out of video files and select this:

screenshot026.jpg (65.07 KiB) Viewed 7242 times

and HOPEFULLY you will have content

screenshot027.jpg (55.7 KiB) Viewed 7242 times

[byron]

@ BuZz...sorry to blow up your forum with so many pictures

[Truman]

@Byron, That is exactly how I do it except I dont click on windows(SMB) I already have my media drive shared as a network location so I just click on smb://troy-pc/G then choose my documentary. But I assume that wouldnt make the difference. I then choose MSHOME (Although I have both MSHOME and WORKGROUP showing and I dont know why as my PC and XBMC is set to MSHOME. Maybe the RPI is set to workgroup although I cant find a setting anywhere in Openelec to change it.

Strange how yours works and mine doesnt. I will try it on the Xbox and see what happens. if it works there at least I know its soemthing to do with openelec with RPI.

Thanks once again.

[byron]

Please humor me anyway and add a new source specifically for this source (on xbox), maybe that's what the problem is

[Truman]

@Byron...I spent the weekend at my girlfriends house so didnt get a chance to try this in xbox until tonight and guess what?? It worked.

I found out that some of the files on openelec are read only and you cant write to them. Ive been looking at the openelec forums for a way around this but not had much luck so far.

Anyway thanks heaps for your help with all of this. At least we solved the problem as I know you, like me wasn't going to rest until we got to the bottom of it.

Just to add I was able to add Documentary to the home screen on the raspberry Pi, but it still points to a blank file window.

[byron]

I wish i knew how these guys made the celebration smiley, but I don't so this'll work I guess ::celebration:: So did you have to install a new share, or did it work from your original SMB source? Wish I could help you with the RPi (I'm think I'm actually gonna pick one up myself), but as far as the xbox goes...now you know how to "manually" add a button to a menu, and if you want to...you can always add more.

At least we solved the problem as I know you, like me wasn't going to rest until we got to the bottom of it.

Amen brother, thanks for letting me know...

[Truman]

It turns out I have Frodo on RPI which I had no idea as it just says RC3. I installed a modded confluence skin that supports adding custom menus but when I go into the documentary folder it only shows 3 files that are all located in my Movie folder. I think its because these files have <Genre>Documentary</Genre> in the xml file.

I also had DOCUMENTARY|DOCUMENTARY so uploaded your home.xml file which fixed the scrolling problem but also removed by background skins and returned the documentary folder to a blank file window again. Can you tell me where in the home.xml file you made changes to stop scrolling of documentary? or better still if you could take a look at my home.xml file here and see whats different compared to yours. Maybe that might shed some light on this.

Thanks again.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/3bz82h2c2sd3xgn/Home.xml

[byron]

I'm just taking shots in the dark here since I'm not using, nor can I see what I'm suggesting here...but I would try this:

when I go into the documentary folder it only shows 3 files that are all located in my Movie folder.

that's probably because of this:

line 5

Code: Select all

<onload condition="!Skin.HasSetting(HomeMenuNoDocuButton)">XBMC.RunScript(script.randomandlastitems,limit=3,method=Last,playlist=special://skin/playlists/Doku.xsp,menu=Menu1)</onload> 

which corresponds with this:

line 1145

Code: Select all

<item id="27">
	<description>Dokumentary</description>
	<label>50037</label>
	<icon>special://skin/backgrounds/documentary.jpg</icon>
	<thumb>$INFO[Skin.String(Home_Custom_Back_Docu_Folder)]</thumb>
	<onclick>XBMC.ActivateWindow(10025,special://skin/playlists/Doku.xsp,return)</onclick>
	<visible>!Skin.HasSetting(HomeMenuNoDocuButton) + Library.HasContent(Movies)</visible>
</item> 

try changing just the limit on line 5 to whatever...limit=50, and then replacing "item 27" starting on 1145 with this:

Code: Select all

<item id="27">
	<description>Dokumentary</description>
	<label>50037</label>
	<icon>special://skin/backgrounds/documentary.jpg</icon>
	<thumb>$INFO[Skin.String(Home_Custom_Back_Docu_Folder)]</thumb>
	<onclick>XBMC.ActivateWindow(VideoFiles,Documentary,return))</onclick>
	<visible>!Skin.HasSetting(HomeMenuNoDocuButton)</visible>
</item>	

(provided that you still have the source in VideoFiles of course...)

as for the scrolling, change

Code: Select all

<width>290</width>

to

Code: Select all

<width>310</width>

in lines 983, 1010, and 1021. It's worth a shot, but like I said...kinda "grabbing at straws" here ---

[Truman]

Byron..I will give that a go but I think this code here

Code: Select all

<onload condition="!Skin.HasSetting(HomeMenuNoDocuButton)">XBMC.RunScript(script.randomandlastitems,limit=3,method=Last,playlist=special://skin/playlists/Doku.xsp,menu=Menu1)</onload> 

Is only related to the random last items list that is shown at the top of the screen. It shows 3 random recently added items for movies and tvshows as well on the main screen when you scroll to those menu links.

All 3 files that documentarys shows have <genre>documentary</genre> in the xml file and so far the other 10 or so Ive checked in the docos folder doesnt. And these 3 files are located in the movies folder.

I wonder why the hell this worked on the xbox no problems but wont on RPI.

I will give it a try though and see what happens and back up the file in case I need to revert back.

I suppose I could also look at this file and see what it says.

special://skin/playlists/Doku.xsp

this seems to be what Jan linked to on xbmc forums, customising home menu items where you create playlists and .xsp files.
i tried to follow that but found it a bit daunting but should pobably give it another go.

Thanks heaps for looking at that file for me.

[byron]

Yea, you're probably right about that...so maybe skip messing with line 5 then. But the bottom part on line 1145 might work, and changing the widths should definitely work. And you should try what jan was suggesting again, sometimes you get it right after some practice